Charles h



(No Model.) Q 7 G. H. VAN WAGONER.

-WIRE TIGHTENER.

No. 528,194. Patented Oct. 30, 1894.

WITNESSES UNITED- STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. VAN WAGONER, OF HOMER, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE IASSIGNMENTS, TO THE HOMER STEEL FENCE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE-TIGHTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,194, dated. October30, 1894,

Application tiled February 5,1894. Serialllo 499,191. (No model.)

To a. whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. VAN WAG- ONER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Homer, in the county of Calhoun and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Tighteners; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements intighteners for fencewires, and it has for its object to provide a deviceof this character which may be readily applied to the fence wire at anypoint and which will serve to tighten the wire and hold the same taut.The device is simple and cheap of construction and in use it has beenfound to be effective.

To these ends and to such others as the invention may pertain the sameconsists in the peculiar construction, and in the novel combination,arrangement and adaptation of parts, all as more fully hereinafterdescribed, shown in the accompanying drawings, and then specificallydefined in the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whichwith the letters of reference marked thereon form a part of thisspecification, and in which drawings- Figure 1, is a perspective View ofmy device, the same being shown as applied to a fence wire, as in actualuse. Fig. 2, is a detail in perspective of the twister, and Fig. 3, is alike view ofthe locking-key.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letterAdesignates the twister or tightener proper, which is made in a singlecasting and at one of its ends is provided with a squared portion B. Theopposite end of the device is provided with a spool or drum C to receivethe wire While the extreme end of the spool is provided with a groove Dfor portion B, is provided around portion E and upon this roundedportion adjacent to the end of the spool, is provided a lug D.

G is the locking-key or lever consisting of the body portion G one endof which is enlarged and provided with a circular opening G of adiameter corresponding with the di-' ameter of the portion E of thetightener, and

the outer edge of this circular opening is provided with a series ofnotches g, g, for a pur pose which will presently appear. The oppositeend of the locking-key or lever is provided with an arm H which is bentat right angles to the body portion and at its free end is provided withthe cross-bar or head H the ends of which extend for a short distancebeyond the side edges of the arm. I

In use the fence wire to be tightened is placed in the groove D, thelocking-lever or key is placed over the square end of the tightener, andby the use of a wrench the tightener is rotated, thus winding the slackof the wire upon the spool. When the wire has been thus tightened-thelooking key is pressed against the end of the spool, the arm H engagingthe wire, as shown in Fig. 1, of the drawings, while the lug D engagesone of the notches g of the locking-key. It will thus be seen that thewire may by the use of my device be quickly tightened, and that it maybe securely held at any desired point.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination, the twister having one of its ends angular to receive awrench, and carrying a spool having a groove D in its outer end and lugD upon its opposite end, and the locking key or lever having a circularopening at one of its ends to engage the rounded portion of the twister,notches to engage the lug D and arm H to engage the fence wire,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. VAN WAGONER.

Witnesses:

MARGARET ARTHUR,

W. W. SNIDER.

